Guide construction for filing drawers



Dec. 1 1, 1934. F. G. STRAUBEL 1,983,577 I GUIDE CONSTRUCTION FOR FILING DRAWERS Filed Sept. 22, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .Fmderickllfififrwubel,

1934' A F. 1., G. STRAUBEL 1,983,577

GUIDE CONSTRUCTION FOR FILING DRAWERS Filed Sept. 22, 1933 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I '7' ll EedericlElLGflZnuzbeL Patented Dec. 11, 1934 GUIDE CONSTRUCTION FOR- DRAWERS Frederick L. o. Straubel, Green Bay, Wis., as-

signor of one-eighth to 0. C. Straubel, Green Bay, Wis., and two-eighths to C. W. Straubel,

Youngstown, Ohio Application September ZZ, 1933, Serial No. 690,618

Claims.

1 bottom edge thereof, the portion of thesupport which engages with the drawer bottom being of roll or equivalent formation to provide a bearing member of greater diameter, or,'of. a greater transverse dimension than the thickness of the card or panel, so that the guides, when positioned in a continuous drawer channel, will not only be free to slide or shift but will also be automatically spaced a predetermined distance initially along the bottom of the drawer according to the diameter or width of the bearing member. In that connection the inventionhas special utility when the same is used for the filing .of metal visible card holders, which for best emciency require predetermined filing spaces.

according to the size and thickness of the panel and attached index cards, as for exa le, a visible index panel of the type shown in my f i'mer Patent No. 1,821,244, September 1, 1931.

ed to freely roll as well as shift or slide on the bottom of the said channel to permit the guides or panels to easily tilt backwardly orforwardly; the bottom edges of the guide cards being always supported free and clear of the drawer bottom; while at the same time dispensing with the use and cost of a locking rod and its accessories.

A further object of the invention is to provide a guide card support in the form 01a key for interlocking with the channel and including a tubular channel bearing and interlo'c portion which maybe rigid with the card, whereby the cards may be tilted aboutan axis substantially co-incident with the axis'of the tubular portion of the support below the drawer bottom; or, on the other hand, the tubular portion of the support may be such that. relative movement may be permitted between the bodyor the card at substantially the periphery of the tubular! supports. That is to say,

the invention contemplates a guide card supporting key or lug wherein the support may be made rigid with the guide card and of a diameter or transverse dimension to space the cards apart along the bottom of the drawer; or, the guide card Generally, it has heretofore been the custom be loosely hingedly interlocked with the to provide a supporting tab at the bottomof the index guide or panel which is substantially fiat, and in some instances provided with an eyelet for receiving a guide card locking rod. When the supporting tab is flat, and of the same thickness as the body of. the card, it is apparent that the portion thereof fitting within the drawer channel, or mounted on a locking rod, will fit relatively close to the tab of an adjacent guide card so that there is no spacing of the cards or panels longitudinally of the drawer and considerable binding results either between the cards themselves, or between the drawer bottom and the guide card, or between the guide card and the locking. Furthermore, this practice causes the guide cards to be so closely spaced that there is not sumcient'sp'ace or freedom between the guide cards to permit of easy filing. On the other hand, if the cards or panels are provided with a wire loop as shown in my Patent No.

1,821,245, September 1, 1930 to obtain a limited degree of spacing, the guide rod is not of sumcient support to keep the bottom edges of the guides from resting or dress ng on the drawer bottom at each side of the channel.

Accordlnglmthe present invention has in view,

the provision of bearing-and supporting means atthdbottoraotthe guide card for anchoring the same in a drawer utilizing a continuous nel, said mesnshaving portions which are supporting lug which still serves as a spacer for the\ cards along the bottom of the drawer, but permits the freer tilting of guide cards in use at a point lying substantially nearer the plane of the drawer bottom.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustratedin the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

A preferred and practical embodiment ofthe invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a detail vertical cross sectional view of a drawer embodying one form of the presguide' cards fitted with risid' supports,

illustrating how such supports space the cards along the channel in the drawer bottom.

Figure 4 is'a view similar to Figure 4 showing how the spacing provided by the supporting lugs may be decreased by using a lug 10 of less transverse dimension of that shown in Figure 4.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of a guide card support loosely interlocked with the guide card.

Figure 6 is a detail vertical sectional view of a modified form of construction illustrated in Figure-5.

Figure '7 is a detail perspective view of the type of bearing member shown in Figure 6.

Figures 8 and 9 are detail vertical sectional views illustrating further modified forms of construction wherein the bearing member is loosely connected with the guide card.

Similar references designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, a filing drawer is designated generally as A, the same having the usual sides, back and front, and a bottom portion 2 provided with an upwardly opening channel 3. This channel isadapted to receive the downwardly projecting support of a guide card, or separator and is common to practically all makes of drawers using a guide card locking rod. However, since the supporting lug of the present invention does not require the use of a locking rod but utilizes a pair of laterally opening channels or ledges projecting inwardly from the upper sides of the channel 3, it is intended to provide such laterally opening channels either as a part of the original equipment of the drawer, or to provide a pair of insertable channel guides that may be inserted in any drawer having the main channel 3. That is to say, the present invention is adapted for use in drawers originally manufactured with a continuous guide card interlocking channel, or in drawers having a support receiving channel and requiring a locking rod to hold the cards in the channel, but, of course, in the latter case the locking rod may be removed and a special channel frame inserted in the main channel to interlock with the supporting lugs as will presently appear.

Assuming that the drawer is originally provided with a continuous lug-interlocking channel, ,one way of achieving that result is to use the side members 4 of Fig. 1, the same having the con- .tinuous channel portions 5 facing each other at .opposite sides of the main channel 3. Thebottoms of the channels may be spot welded or otherwise secured to the drawer as indicated at x. The said channels 5 are provided with the upper inwardly extending flanges 6, so spaced as to provide a slot to receive the notched shank or cutaway portion 7 of the inverted T-shaped body 8 ofthe guide card support designated generally as S.

The body 8 of the support is preferably formed from a single piece of material doubled upon itself to provide wings or leaves for receiving the bottom of the guide card or panel G between them and is secured to the latter by the fastenings 9. The lower portion of the body, below the notches 7, is formed with a lug 10 of circular or tubular formation, thus providing in effect a key lug which is of considerably greater diameter than the thickness of the panel G, and also of a diameter substantially equal t the height of the channels 5, sumcient space however being provided between the lug 10 and the opposite flanges 6 and 6 of the channel to permit the guide card to slide freely in the channel and also to rock or roll on the bottom flange 6 The said tubular lugs 10 provide a perfect, easy rocking operation, prevent pinching or crowding of visible card panels or separators, and space each panel correctly at the bottom to compensate for the build up of the filing matter on and between panels.

In applying a guide card having the support S shown in Figure 1 to a drawer channel it is only necessary to initially place the card at an oblique angle to the channel so that the ends of the roll will fit in the channel, and then the card may be turned at a right angle to the channel to effect the desired interlock.

When the guide cards G, having the supports S attached thereto, are mounted in the channel 5 of the drawer bottom, it will be apparent that they may be shifted longitudinally throughout the length of the continuous channel '5, and moreover, when the guide cards are assembled so that the lug 10 of one support engages with the lug 10 of an adjacent support, the guide cards themselves will be spaced a distance corresponding to the distance from axis to axis of adjacent lug portions when the latter are circular or from edge to edge of the lugs when they are of oval or other formation as will later appear. This arrangement not only prevents binding of the guides at the bottom of the drawer but also permits each guide card to rock or tilt freely, within the limit provided by the spacing of the bottom of the guide card G above the drawer bottom proper and spaces the lower edge of the card or panel from the bottom of the drawer so that their weight rests on the lug rather than the drawer surface at each side of the channel. The dottedline position in Figure 4 indicates how the guide cards may roll or rock under the conditions referred to.

In event that the drawer is not originally equipped with the side channel members 5 shown in Figure 1, but is only provided with a main central channel 3, and it is desired to use guide cards having the present invention applied theretp, it is only necessary to set up an insertable key channel construction in the main channel 3. Figure 3 of the drawings illustrates a type of insertable unit that may be used.

As will be observed from the figure above referred to, the insertable key channel construction comprises the side members BB, the same having the inwardly facing channel portions 5 with the upper walls and lower flanges 6 and 6 said members BB being connectedby a rear' clamp C and a front clamp D/ The rear clamping member C consists of a body portion 11 having a rib 12 on its rear face adapted to fitin an opening provided between the top of the channel 3 and the lower edge of the rear wall of the drawer. For the purpose of holding the rear ends of the members BB against the sides of the channel 3, the member 0 is provided with the offset finger portions 14' adapted to engage with the inside faces i of the channel members B--B. The clamp and spacing member D at the front of the unit comprises a body portion 15 provided with the offset fingers 17 for engaging the inside faces 4. at the front of the channel members BB. When this channel framework is set up in the main channel 3 of the drawer, a continuous channel 5 is provided for the guide card supports in just the same way as it would be in a drawer permanently equipped with the side channels 5 as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4' shows a lug 10- of less transverse width than the lug 10 of Figure 4. By varying the width of the lug, the space between the guide cards along the bottom of the drawer can be varied. That is to say, by varying the diameter or transverse thickness of the lugs, or changing their shape to produce this result, the panels may be spaced to suit different filing requirements. By making the size of the rolls anywhere from 1% to of an inch in thickness, whether round or oval, various filing spaces between panels or guides are provided, as shown by a comparison of said Figures 4 and 4 Figure 5 of the drawings illustrates a modified form of supporting key or lug for the guide card G. In this construction the card G may be provided with an extension or shank 18 having a keeper opening '19, the said opening adapted to receive a tongue 20 of a circular supporting lug 21 which is also slitted at its upper side, as indicated at 22 to receive the extension or shank 18. With this arrangement it will be apparent that the body of the guide card G is provided with a shank that is hingedly connected to the lug 21 which is adapted to bear in the continuous channel 5 of the drawer, the ends of the member 21 being interlocked with the upper sides of the channel in the same manner as the rolls 10. Thus, the shank 18 is pivotally connected with the member 21 at its periphery and is supported by the bottom edge of the roll sufiiciently to elevate the bottom edges of the guides above the drawer bottom at each side of the channel to prevent dragging or scraping of the guide when tilting the contents of the drawer back and forth. Furthermore, since this arrangement dispenses with wings, or other members equivalent to the wings 8 of Figure 1, and also eliminates the use of eyelets, the construction set forth in Figure 5, not only reduces cost, but also provides additional filing space between guides because space is made available for receiving filing material which would otherwise be taken up by parts 8 or their equivalent, or by the eyelets.

Figure 6 of the drawings illustrates another modification of the construction shown in Figure 5. In this embodiment of the invention the tubular supporting lug 23 is preferably provided with a longitudinal slit 24 adapted to receive the enlarged keeper portion'25. of the guide support S. The support S thus formed with the keeper of the type shown at 25 in Figure 6 may be interlocked with the lug 23 by sliding the lug endwise over the lowerportion of the support S. When the keeper 25 and lug 23 are interlocked it will be apparent that the guide card cannot be lifted from the roll 23 due to the fact that the keeper means is wider than the slit 24, but on the other hand the guide card G may rock freely within the lug 23, while at the same time the lug 23 will also have a rocking engagement on the bottom of the key channel. Thus, in this form, greater flexibility is provided for the guide card supporting means inasmuch as the lug 23 may both roll and slide in the channel and the guide card may also move with respect to the lug, the limit of movement being, of course, governed by the spacing of the lower edge of the guide card from the drawer bottom.

Figures 8 and 9 of the drawings illustrate further modifications of the keeper means on the guide card to cooperate with the lug 23 previously referred to. In Figure 8, the lower tongue portion of the guide card (3 may be provided with the oppositely offset keeper projections 24 which may be pressed out at alternate intervals to opposite sides of the guide card extension or tongue. In Figure 9 the g'uidecard shank or extension may be bent backward or doubled upon itself, as indicated at 28, the tendency of the part 26 to expand being suflicient to keep the said shank of the guide card interlocked with the lug 23, which bears in the channel 5. It will, of course, be understood that the guide card members Ci may be made of relatively stiff cardboard or they may be made of metal. In each instance, however, the constructions shown illustrate apartial range of modification that may be resorted to to effect an interlock between the body of the guide card and a supporting roll or lug which,

said Figures 5-9 inclusive, the lugs 23 also serve as a means for spacing the bottoms of the guide cards along the bottom of the drawer, thereby preserving these desirable characteristics of the constructions shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4".

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of constructionmay be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim: I I

1. A tiltable and shiftable guide card construction; for use in vertical filing drawers having a bottom wall provided with a continuous channel;

comprising, a card body, a supporting member at the lower side of said body and having a length greater than the depth of said channel whereby when the member rests on the bottom of the channel, the lower edge of the card body will be supported free and clear of the upper surface of the drawer bottom, andthe lower portion ofsaid supporting member being of rounded formation to have a bearing engagement with the bottom of the channel, said rounded formation being of channel, and said channel extending continuously throughout the length of the drawer; comprising, a card body, a supporting member secured to the lower side of the'card body and notched at the sides thereof to receive said flanges, said member supporting the lower edge of the card body at a point above the upper surface of the drawer bottom to provide tilting clearance, and said member being also provided with a rounded portion adapted to rest on the bottom of said channel, said rounded portion also being of a transverse width greater than the thickness of the vertical card body thereby to engage the tubular portion of a support carried by an adjacent card to space the same a predetermined distance from the firstmentioned card along the bottom of the drawer.

3. A tiltable and shiftable vertical guide card construction; for use in filing drawers having a continuous bottom channel provided with inwardly directed top flanges forming a slot; comprising, a guide card supporting key adapted to be inserted in the slot and including a body of substantially inverted T-shaped formation providing a shank and a head, said head being of tubular formation and adapted to bear in the channel and said shank supporting the card above the upper surface of the drawer bottom to provide tilting clearance, and said tubular head also being of a greater transverse dimension than the thickness of the card whereby when a plurality of supporting keys are arranged in the continuous channel, the contacting tubular head portions will space the guide cards a predetermined distance along the bottom of the drawer.

4. A tiltable and shiftable vertical guide card construction; for use in vertical filing drawers having a continuous central bottom channel provided with inwardly directed top flanges forming a slot; comprising, a card body, a support for the latter located at the bottom central portion thereof and projecting therefrom, thereby exposing the bottom edges of the card at each side of the support, said support including a shank and a lower tubular channel portion loosely connected, the

total height of said shank and tubular portion being sumcient to space the lower exposed "edges of the card body above the bottom of the drawer to provide tilting clearance, said tubu ar portion being of greater length than the shank and having a transverse width greater than the thickness of the card body,-whereby adjacent supports, when positioned in the channel, will space the cards along the bottom edge of the drawer.

5. A tiltable and shiftable guide card construction for use in vertical filing-drawers having a continuous central bottom channel, comprising, a card body, a member projecting from the bottom edge of the card body at the central portion thereof and adapted to be positioned in said central channel, and a tubular member split longitudinally to receive said member projecting from the bottom of the card and adapted to bear in said channel.

FREDERICK L. G. STRAUBEL. 

